Last-gasp Saracens sink Saints

A last gasp try from Marcelo Bosch earned Saracens a fantastic 25-27 victory over Northampton Saints on Easter Sunday.

Harry Mallinder scored the first-half’s only try as the hosts had the better of the opening exchanges against a Saracens side which came into the match having made 9-changes.

Alex Lozowski’s right-boot kept the Men in Black within touch during the first-half but Saints pulled away at the beginning of the second as tries from Dylan Hartley and Ken Pisi handed the hosts a 14-point advantage.

However, Sarries rallied late on with a try late-on in the corner from Chris Ashton as the Champions pushed for a victory. Marcelo Bosch scored a brilliant try with two minutes to play to present man-of-the-match Lozowski the chance to win the game with his conversion.

He landed the conversion from a wide-angle to earn Saracens a dramatic 25-27 victory.

Northampton opened the scoring with a try in the sixth minute, Mallinder broke through the line to run clean through and score after some lovely-build-up play. Myler converted to make the early score 7-0 to the hosts.

Myler extended Saints’ lead with a penalty in the 17th minute after a Duncan Taylor challenge was adjudged by Matthew Carley to have been a professional foul. Taylor was sent to the sin-bin while Myler’s penalty found the posts, taking the score to 10-0.

Lozowski scored Saracens’ first points of the afternoon in the 22nd minute. Saints were caught off their feet at the ruck, handing the 23-year-old chance to get the visitors rolling from the tee.

Myler extended Northampton’s lead in the 28th minute with his third kick of the afternoon making the score 13-3. Five minutes later, Lozowski responded with a penalty of his own as Saints were penalised at the breakdown. This made the score 13-6 at half-time.

Northampton scored their second try in the second minute of the second-half. Hartley was the man whose outstretched arm touched the ball down from close-range. The deputising Saints kicker Harry Mallinder added the extras.

Lozowski kicked a penalty in the 45th minute to keep the scoreboard ticking over for the visitors as he made it 20-9. The fly-half was on target again in the 51st minute as another successful penalty kick made his tally 4/4 and the score 20-12.

The hosts’ third try was scored in the 53rd minute by Pisi, the Samoan was teed up by compatriot Ahsee Tuala to score in the corner.

In the 69th minute Chris Ashton scored in the corner. Quick thinking from Billy Vunipola took Sarries forward from a scrum before the ball was quickly moved out wide to find its way into the grateful arms of former Saints man Ashton to cut the deficit to 8 points.

Lozowski brought Saracens within five points with a penalty in the 76th minute before a breakaway saw men over for the visitors and Marcelo Bosch steamed through the Saints defence to cross the whitewash. Lozowski slotted home the last-gasp conversion to send Sarries home with a valuable win.